Last week’s Hindi-language Eid release Bajrangi Bhaijaan posited that India and Pakistan have more that unites than separates them. Its Urdu equivalent Bin Roye, touted as Pakistan’s most ambitious feature yet, suggests that Bollywood and Lollywood – the industry based in Lahore – remain some distance apart. The former film had star power, expansive scope and an undeniable melodramatic potency; the latter unfolds on overlit soap sets on which thirtysomething performers make like goo-goo-eyed kids. Perhaps it’s telling the source is a widely-read romance; still, on this evidence of this terminally sappy drama, the book must have made Nicholas Sparks read like James Ellroy.

In a banner week for new releases, the five top-selling discs on the national homevideo sales charts for the week ending July 19 are all newcomers that hit stores the previous Tuesday, the designated day when new product is put on display.

Twentieth Century Fox’s “The Longest Ride,” a romantic drama with $37.5 million in theatrical earnings, debuted at No. 1. Based on the Nicholas Sparks book, the film follows a young couple whose lives change after meeting an older man who was in a car crash, as he reflects on his own past romance.

Bowing at No. 2 was the comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” a sequel to the 2009 cult hit from Sony Pictures. The original grossed $146.3 million and generated quite a buzz with its Segway-riding antihero and his laughable misadventures. The sequel earned $70.7 million theaters.

“Ex Machina,” from Lionsgate, debuted at No. 3. The film, in which a young programmer is
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For once, a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks book appears to be populated by relatively realistic approximations of human beings dealing with relationship conflict in realistic ways.
I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I think this might be the first movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel that I haven’t hated. Oh, sure, it’s set in an American South — specifically, North Carolina — where there are, impossibly, no black people (see also: Safe Haven), and where it only ever rains as an expression of manly sadness that cannot be articulated in any other way. It uses a motif similar to The Notebook’s, in which romantic handwritten documents of a relationship — in this case, love letters — allow for flashbacks to the 1940s,
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Let’s play a little game: Which True Detective character is going to bite it first?

Forgive me if that seems a bit morbid — even for a show that this week introduced us to a murder shack liberally painted with “arterial spray” (thanks, Ani) — but at least one of these people has to die before the rapidly approaching end of the season, right? (After all, not everyone can have Rust Cohle’s Carcosa-surviving unkillability — though the invisible bubble that protected Ray, Ani and Paul from all the bullets last episode certainly seems to come close.)

Since when did it become cute to be suicidal? The latest in a long line of “Harold and Maude”-lin coming-of-agers to feature a misfit adorably determined to call it quits, “Coconut Hero” looks and sounds just like a dozen other emo teen-targeted dramedies, right down to its self-pitying protagonist (newcomer Alex Ozerov), a more-desirable-than-he-realizes “Perks of Being a Wallflower”-esque outcast who’s spared the inconvenience of offing himself when doctors discover a walnut-sized tumor in his brain. The fewer movies (of any sort) you’ve seen, the more likely you are to fall for such shtick, making this weepie ideal for young sensitive types. But even jaded auds have to admit the whole project starts to look impressive the instant one recognizes this ersatz Sundance-style indie was shot in Canada and written and directed by a pair of Germans.

So how did Tel Aviv-born Florian Cossen come to make an English-language,
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Indeed, if these are McAdams’ most famous films, they emphasise her knack for versatility: in Mean Girls, she plays an unabashed villain, whilst The Notebook places her at the other end of the spectrum entirely as the leading role in a Nicholas Sparks’ romantic comedy.

Which is another way of saying that Rachel McAdams, still only 36-years-old, is an actress capable of much. She’s somebody who is not afraid to try new things, nor will she refuse a simple or mainstream part if she believes it to be good for her stock. McAdams can do serious and she can do comedy; she shines in a leading role, but she almost always makes a mark in secondary parts, too. She is also cool,
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In a return to the horror genre, where she first made an impression in 2006’s The Grudge 2, Palmer will topline as an imperilled mother. Gabriel Bateman (CBS’ Stalker) was previously announced to be taking on the role of the young son in a family haunted by a supernatural entity that can only be seen in the dark. With everyone at risk, one family member is forced to battle the evil spirit head on.

David F. Sandberg will make his directorial debut on the pic, adapting his terrifying short of the same name. Lawrence Grey and Eric A. Heisserer are attached as producers, with Heisserer scripting an expansion of Sandberg’s story.
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Scott Eastwood makes us, well, swoon.
And nothing captures that like this deleted scene from The Longest Ride.
Clint Eastwood's son makes us go a bit weak in the knees with his tight jeans, flannel shirt, boots and a cowboy hat.
The scene—officially called "Romance Above the Dam"—shows Eastwood and his co-star Britt Robertson at a lake, walking on a bridge and stopping to chat and share some laughs (Scott's smile!) and a sweet kiss.
Based on the Nicholas Sparks' novel of the same name, The Longest Ride stars Eastwood and Robertson as a couple befriended by an older man (Alan Alda) as he remembers a past love.
The cast also includes Jack Huston, Melissa
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Though the future of Studio Ghibli remains uncertain, if When Marnie Was There ends up being the revered animation house’s swan song, it will make for a fitting final chapter in the studio’s history, if not the outright best one. While the anime art style and visual storytelling that endeared Ghibli to millions is still present, and arguably its strongest yet in terms of consistency, When Marnie Was There is a minor entry compared to the likes of Spirited Away, or even last year’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

All the same, When Marnie Was There’s place among the Ghibli canon is undeniable. It’s at once a sweepingly elegiac melodrama, and a simple children’s fable, one adapted from the Joan G. Robinson novel of the same name. Ghibli stories split the difference between visionary fantasy and earthy realism, often times within the same movie,
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"Game of Thrones" may be done for the year, but there's no need to bid farewell to dragons! "How to Train Your Dragon" heroes Hiccup and Toothless are back in this new Netflix original series premiering June 26. Their mission: to explore strange new worlds, seek out never-before-seen dragons, and end the war between Vikings and dragons for good. Watch all 13 episodes starting this Friday.

Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) has been groomed for stardom all her life by her overbearing mother (Minnie Driver), and the pressures of fame push her close to the edge. A hot cop named Kaz (Nate Parer) helps her break free, but the people in their lives want them to put their career goals ahead of romance.
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There are variables in the chemistry of a Nicholas Sparks film, but the basic formula has seldom changed through films like The Notebook, Dear John and The Lucky One. Even the posters for these movies often look indistinguishable from one another, except for the two actors pictured. The Longest Ride is the tenth Sparks adaptation to hit the big screen and though it sticks to what you'll know if you've seen more than one of the others, it's not necessarily a formula that's in need of fixing.

Stop us if this sounds like we've done a find and replace on some other plot summary, but this time we follow Sophia, (Britt Robertson) who's about to start a prestigious internship at a gallery in New York, just as
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This adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’s novel about parallel lives and loves is touching despite thick layers of schmaltz

You know where you are with Nicholas Sparks, and it’s a place I’m always happy to spend a couple of hours. This latest adaptation of a Sparks potboiler finds art student Sophia (Britt Robertson) falling for bull-rider Luke (Scott Eastwood, son of Clint). Their budding relationship parallels that of 91-year-old Ira (Alan Alda) and his beloved wife, Ruth, whose tale is recounted in cherished handwritten letters. In both stories, a man with no eye for art must learn to share his sweetheart’s passion, while a woman with clear-cut goals must decide how much she will sacrifice for love. Like all of Sparks’s stories it’s corny as hell, but there’s an unabashed, old-fashioned charm that gradually warms the cockles and moistens the eye. Robertson and Eastwood
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In this week's Guardian film show, host Xan Brooks is joined by Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes to review Mr Holmes, in which Ian McKellen plays a nonagenarian Sherlock struggling to recall a case, Entourage, in which the four trusty bros from the HBO TV show belatedly make it to the big screen, Accidental Love – aka Nailed – David O Russell's 2008 comedy starring Jake Gyllenhaal and The Longest Ride, the 10th Nicholas Sparks movie, in which a college girl is romanced by a bull-rider. The team also answer your questions, which you can post in the comments below Continue reading
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The latest adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel is every bit as treacly and manipulative as its predecessors. Scott Eastwood (Clint's equally rugged son) plays "easy on the eye" professional bull rider Luke Collins. Britt Robertson is Sophia, the art-loving student at university in North Carolina, about to start an internship at a New York gallery but whose life is thrown off-kilter after she meets Luke at a rodeo.
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Tarbet stars as a woman afflicted with selective blindness, which prevents her from seeing her own mother (Sevigny). Walker will play Farmer Smithson, a local psychiatrist with a mild form of Aspergers who treats her.

Based on a Nicholas Sparks bestseller, this comfy tale of a young woman discovering how lovable old people are wallows in a wholesome, rosy-hued past

One of those rare films whose porn version will have the same title. This unbearable syrupy romance is based on yet another bestseller by the romdram supremo Nicholas Sparks, who specialises in notebooks, manuscripts, caches of love letters and messages in bottles – all telling comfy tales of old-fashioned monogamous passion for the edification of today’s youngsters, set in the rosy-hued past and in the wholesome American south or midwest. Scott Eastwood (son of Clint) plays Luke Collins, a cowboy who makes a living riding bulls at rodeos; he meets cute with brainy sorority gal Sophia (Britt Robertson), who’s taking a fancy degree in art history. Out on a date, they run into a lovable-grumpy old fellow played by Alan Alda, and Britt’s
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The latest Nicholas Sparks (Dear John, The Notebook) adaption, The Longest Ride hits Irish shores tomorrow, and on the run up to its release a new clip has come our way, in which Brott Robertson and Scott Eastwood give us a quick bull riding lesson. Check it out below.
Released: 19th June
Synopsis: The Longest Ride centres on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world. As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected and life altering connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, The Longest Ride explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.
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Don't expect any surprises from The Longest Ride, the 10th big screen adaptation out of the Nicholas Sparks stable. It's a profitable cottage industry for sure, but one that seemingly exists solely as a rite-of-passage for fast-rising 20-something Hollywood stars.

The Longest Ride centres on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City’s art world. As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected and life altering connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, The Longest Ride
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